Chime signal



. 9, 1941. l..` RlTTENHoUsE CHIME SIGNAL Filed Dec. 24, 1940 indicated. and

` menta Dec. e, 1941- Cm SIGNAL v Lloyd Rittenhouse, Honeoye Falls, N. Y., assignor to The A. E. Rittenhouse Co.,

Inc., Honeoye Falls, N. Y., a corporation of New York 'Application Detener 24, 1940, serial No. 311,545 claims. (ci. 117-7) 'rms invention relates to a chime signet with more particular reference to the type of construction that employs a plurality of separate resonance chambers independently tuned to chime elements of dierent pitch, and it has for its object to aiord a chime signal of this general type which shall be of simple construction, easy to assemble, and economical to produce.

Another object of the invention is to afford a chime signal utilizing a plurality of resonance chambers of cylindrical or other form, in which the parts are compactly arranged and lend themselves to affording a pleasing and ornate unit occupying a minimum space.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a structure having a relatively small number of parts, and in which the resonance chamber housings and striker mechanisms are held rigidly in operative relationship without the need of brackets or other attaching devices for the striker mechanisms, which latter are retained in place solely by their engagement with the resonance chamber housings. I

Still an additional purpose of the invention is to provide an arrangement in which the resonance chambers can be easily tuned, which will insure continued eillcient operation, and will emit tones of maximum volume and highest quality.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description, when read in commotion with the accompanying drawing, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.`

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a chime signal incorporating a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional View, showing the mounting of one end of a striker mechanism in a resonance chamber housing.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in which like reference numerals throughout the several views refer to the same parts, I and 2 designate a pair of housings, preferably of elongated cylindrical tubular form affording resothisparticular contour but may be otherwise constructed while adhering to the fundamental characteristics oi the invention.

The housings I and 2 are provided with chime elements, preferably in the form of bars 3 and 4, located interiorlyand extending endwise of the housings, and each mounted on the wall of its housing in any convenient manner. while 5 and Ii designate sound emitting openings located opposite the chime bars 3 and 4, in the outer portions of the housing walls as shown.

The housings are provided with suitable plugs or closures 8 which are permanently secured in the ends of the housings, and where Iboth resonance chambers are of the same length as Ishown, the closure in the housing I may be' provided with an opening 9 in order to tune the chamber to the chime bar .3, which is of diilerent pitch from the chime bar 4, to impart a different note, although this forms no part of the present invention, and the housings or resonance chambers may be of different lengths or otherwise diierently tuned, as is well known in the art.

The housings I and 2 may be secured in spaced parallel relation in any suitable manner, and in the construction shown, this is accomplished by attaching the housings to a support which is inn the form of a panel I0, the housings I and 2 being rigidly secured thereto by the screws II which extend through openings from the rear of' the panel I0 and engage threaded openings in the housings. The support or panel .l0 is adapted to be mounted upon a wall or other surface, as usual in this type of construction, beingprovided with terminals to which the electrical conductors are attached, and from which conductors lead to the electric striker mechanisms to be described presently.

The striker mechanisms, which include solenoids and striker plungers, are mounted between housings I and 2, being preferably entirely supported within openings in the opposed walls of the housings, and completely closing said openings so as to facilitate tuning the resonance chambers, since a resonance chamber can be f tuned more lreadily when it contains only one i housings.

sound emitting opening.

In order to accomplish this, the housings I and 2 are provided with openings in their opposed walls, such openings being dened by the,- inwardly turned annular'ilanges I4, see Fig. 4, the striker mechanisms extending into said openings, `and being supported therewithin by the Each striker mechanism includes a nance chambers, which however need not be of solenoid I5, having the usuall insulating end plates I6, the solenoid being located between the housings with its end plates I6 abutting the same, as shown in Fig. 1, while I1 designates a plunger tube extending centrally through the solenoid, to receive the plunger on which the striker or strikers are mounted. It will be understood that the plunger of one solenoid carries a striker only at one end for imparting a singlenote signal, while the plunger of the other solenoid carries a striker at both ends to strike both chime bars and give a two-note signal, as usual in double purpose chime signals.

In order to support each solenoid within the openings of the opposed walls of the housings, a collar I 8' is provided of rubber or other resilient or vibration-absorbing means, the collar I8 surrounding the tube I'I adjacent to the plate I6,

and fitting closely within the annular flange I4.

I9 designates a bumper of rubber or other suitable material secured to the chime bar 4 and located in the path of the solenoid plunger which imparts only a single note, and acting to receive the impactof the plunger on its return movement without imparting any tone. 2I designates a cover or shield of ornamental character to conceal the striker mechanism, and held in place by a rearwardly projecting top wall 22 which extends between the resonance chambers and has a downwardly projecting iiange 23 that hooks over the upper edge of the supporting panel I0, while 24 is a rearwardly projecting tongue at the bottom of the shield 2i, extending between the housings and serving to position the shield.

To assemble the structure, one of the housings is first attached to the support I0, after which the striker mechanisms are positioned in the openings in both resonance chambers as shown in Fig. 1, before attaching the second housing, and after the striker mechanisms are properly positioned in the housing openings, the second housing is secured to the support. When both housings are thus attached or secured to each other in spaced relation, they serve to hold the striker mechanisms securely between them, without the aid of attaching devices. 'I'he openings in which the solenoid plunger tubes are mounted are completelylled by the plunger tubes and their surrounding collars, so that these openings in no way interfere with -or aiect the tuning of the resonance chambers, the tones from which are emitted, when a chime is struck, through the openings and 6 in the outer walls of the housings.

While the invention has been described with reference to the particular construction shown, it is not confined to the detailed arrangement herein disclosed, and this application is intended to cover any modifications or departures coming within the purposes of the improvement and the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a. chime signal, the combination with a supporting plate, of a plurality of cylindrical housings attached by substantially point support fastening means to the supporting plate in closely spaced parallel relation to each other and constituting resonance chambers, chime elements located within the resonance chambers near the outer walls thereof, the housings having openings arranged in their opposed inner walls, and striker mechanism secured to the housings and supported within said openings by the housings, the striker mechanism including a striker engageable with the chime elements and said striker mechanism acting to prevent movement oi' the cylindrical housings toward each other.

2. In a chime signal, the combination with a supporting plate. of a plurality of cylindrical housings attached by substantially point supl port fastening means to the supporting plate in closely spaced parallel relation to eachother and constituting resonance chambers, chime elements located within the resonance chambers near the outer walls thereof, the housings having openings arranged in their opposed inner walls, and striker mechanism including a solenoid secured to and abutting said housings, a tube extending through the solenoid and into said openings of the housings, collars on said tube lling the openings in the housings, and a striker movable through said tube and engageable with the chime elements, said striker mechanism acting to prevent movement of the cylindrical housings toward each other.

3. In a chime signal, the combination with a supporting plate, of a plurality of cylindrical parallel housings constituting resonance cham# bers arranged in spaced relation and having openings in their opposed inner wallsweach of said cylindrical housings being attached to the supporting plate at a plurality of points in the same line, chime elements in the resonance chambers,` striker mechanism supported by and located between the housings, said striker mechanism extending into and filling said openings, and a striker movable through said openings and engageable with the chime elements, said striker mechanism acting to prevent movement of the cylindrical housings toward each other.

4. In a chime signal, the combination with a supporting plate, of a plurality of cylindrical parallel housings constituting resonance chambers arranged in spaced relation and having openings in their opposed inner walls, each of said cylindrical housings being attached to the supporting plate at a plurality of points in the through said tube into engagement with the chime elements, said striker mechanism acting to prevent movement of the cylindrical housings toward each other.

5. In a chime signal, the combination with a supporting plate, of a plurality of parallel cylindrical housings arranged in spaced relation, each oi said cylindrical housings having the portion contiguous to the plate attached thereto at a plurality of points in the same line, said housings constituting resonance chambers, chime elements located within the resonance chambers, said housings having openings arranged in their opposedinner walls, striker mechanism including a solenoid located between and abutting said housings, a tube extending through the solenoid and into said inner openings in the housings, collars on said tube illling the openings in the housings, and a striker movable through said tube and engageable with the chime elements in the resonance chambers, said tube and solenoid acting to hold the housings against movement toward each other.

LLOYD RI'I'IENHOUSE. 

